We queried readers in the last blog for ideas on how to reduce excess daily calories from sweetened beverages such as soda, fruit drinks, and sweetened tea and coffee. “Switch to diet versions of these products” would be a logical answer, right? Well, it may be logical but it appears not to be accurate.

In a study published in the December 2007 issue of the Obesity, researchers reported that in a weight loss study of 118 overweight women, replacing sweetened caloric beverages with drinking water was associated with an average decrease of about 200 calories per day. In the statistical models used to test this study’s data, replacing sweetened caloric beverages with diet beverages did not yield the same caloric reduction.

Huh? This counterintuitive finding likely occurred because the women who used diet drinks compensated for the reduced beverage calorie intake by getting more calories from solid food. Not so for the women who drank water instead of sweetened caloric drinks. Though not fully understood, it may be because diet beverages actually stimulate appetite whereas water does not.

Bottomline:  If you want a simple way to cut out excess calories in your diet, drop the pop (and sweetened tea, coffee, and fruit drinks), ditch the diet drinks, and reach for a big glass of clear, refreshing water.